The Unexpected
by shadow djinni
Summary: When eighteen-year-old Kurogane Suwa's parents are killed on duty in the Nihon Police Force, he and his sister Tomoyo are forced to move across the city to Clow District. They could never have expected what awaited them: new neighbors, street adventure, and deep secrets woven into the fabric of their new home...and themselves. T for Kurogane's mouth and later blood.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Okay, this is my first attempt at a Tsubasa Chronicle Fanfic, so tell me how I did. Are the characters reasonably in character? Does this seem like it could go somewhere? How's my writing? This idea came out of pure randomness, so tell me how it is and don't be afraid to flame.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tsubasa Chronicle, or any affiliated characters, situations, locations, names, etc.**

Chapter One: A Life Ends…

Kurogane's fingers tapped frantically at his laptop's keyboard, his dark face intent on the screen. He was so focused on his work that he didn't even notice that his mother had entered the room until she leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. He jumped in surprise and spun in his desk chair to look at her. His mother was already dressed in the navy-blue uniform of the Nihon District police force, and her long, blue-black hair was up in a bun. Her violet eyes smiled despite her serious expression.

"Your father and I are about to start our shifts." she said.

"It's four-thirty already?" he asked, glancing at the time on the bottom corner of his screen. Sure enough, the clock read 4:30 PM.

"Yes. Make sure you and Tomoyo are in bed at a reasonable hour tonight, so we don't have a repeat of last weekend, okay?"

"Mom, we weren't up that late…." Kurogane groaned. "And we have a three day weekend anyway."

"Just be in bed by eleven if your father and I aren't back before then, okay?"

"Overtime _again_?" Kurogane winced at the prospect of yet another evening with only his younger sister for company. That was enough to make anyone crazy.

"There was a stabbing incident on the west side of the district. The police chief wants your father and me to look into it." She looked at his screen. "When was this paper due?"

"Not until we get back on Tuesday. Sheesh, Mom, it's not like I always forget to turn in my work." Kurogane's mother ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Make sure it gets finished, then." She looked him in the eyes and added, "And let your sister into the apartment this time, okay? I don't want to get a call from her that you've locked her out again."

His father appeared in the doorway. He, too, wore a navy police uniform. His hand rested on the grip of his gun. Kurogane grinned. He'd always been closer to his father than his mother, and most of the neighbors said he looked like a younger version of the near-infamous Officer Suwa. It was Kurogane's dream to live up to his father's reputation and join the police once he was out of high school.

"Are you finished berating our son yet, or will I have to start my shift by myself?" Officer Suwa asked teasingly. His wife smiled.

"Of course. We can't have you chasing a murderer by yourself, now can we?" She stood up and headed for the door of Kurogane's room. "Be nice to your sister." she admonished, and left the room. A minute later, the door of the apartment slammed shut. Kurogane smirked and shut down his laptop. There were better things to do in an hour and a half than sitting and working on an essay.

* * *

An hour later, Kurogane flopped down on the couch, having just finished with his workout. He counted himself lucky that his father kept a set of weights in the small living room of their apartment, and even luckier that his father let him use them. He was about to turn on the television and hope something good was on when someone knocked on the door. Perhaps pounded was a better word. It sounded like a squad of police officers was banging on the door with a ram.

"Nii-san! Let me in, Kurogane!" The swarthy teen groaned. His sister was back, half an hour early.

"What's the magic word, Tomoyo?" he hollered back.

"Please!"

Kurogane groaned and heaved himself up off the couch. He walked over to the door and unlocked it, allowing his younger sister into the apartment.

Tomoyo was only two years younger than Kurogane, but her long, heavy black hair with its straight-cut bangs and girly hair clips, combined with her short stature, kept her looking about fourteen instead of sixteen. She looked small and delicate next to her tall, broad-shouldered brother.

"I'm back!" she said.

"Welcome home…..I think." Kurogane grumbled. "Aren't you a little early?"

"We got done with rehearsal a little early, so the club director let us out." She shot him a dirty look. "You stink, Nii-san. Were you using Dad's weights again?"

"How about I go take a shower and you cook us dinner."

"You're only saying that because _you_ can't cook!"

"It's not my fault the kitchen hates me."

"It can't hate you. The kitchen is inanimate—it doesn't have a brain to hate you with. You just suck at cooking, Nii-san." Kurogane was silent, trying to think of a comeback. "Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Tomoyo said.

"…..You're horrible."

Tomoyo grinned, flipping her hair back over her shoulder and heading for the kitchen. "I know."

* * *

Hours later, the pair lay sprawled on the couch, watching the _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy—Tomoyo's choice, of course. They were halfway through _The Two Towers_ when someone knocked on the door. Tomoyo went to get up, but Kurogane stopped her.

"Keep watching your stupid movie," he grumbled. "_I'll_ get the door." Kurogane opened the door to find Officer Glossam, one of his father's coworkers on the other side. His navy uniform was stained with what looked suspiciously like blood.

"Officer Glossam?" Kurogane asked.

"Kurogane, would you please get your sister. I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news."

"What 'bad news'?" asked Tomoyo.

"The worst."

"What happened to Mom and Dad?" Kurogane asked grimly. He had a gut feeling that, whatever Officer Glossam had to say, it would ruin his evening.

"Your parents were asked to investigate a homicide on the west side of the district. Evidently, the killer was still hanging around. Your father went to apprehend him, and they engaged in a gunfight. Your mother went to back him up, and the suspect set off an explosive. I'm afraid your father was killed instantly, and your mother died of blood loss before the paramedics could get there. I'm sorry."

"No." whispered Tomoyo. Her voice was choked with tears.

"Did you catch the killer?" asked Kurogane.

"The suspect escaped. Half of the on-duty officers are combing the district for him now, but he seems to have vanished."

At that, Tomoyo burst into tears. Kurogane wrapped his sister in a hug, silent tears running down his own face. Officer Glossam excused himself, leaving the siblings to grieve alone. They stood like that for what seemed like hours, Tomoyo with her pale face pressed into Kurogane's shoulder, soaking his shirt with tears. Kurogane was just numb, his face pressed into his sister's hair. He couldn't cry. Not even a little.

* * *

"Let me get this straight." Kurogane said, staring the social worker in the eye. It was about six the next morning, and he had been up half the night comforting Tomoyo. "Mom and Dad's will states that, if anything happened to them, we were to go and live with our Aunt Ameterasu."

"That's right." the social worker replied.

"And Aunt Ameterasu lives on the other side of the city in Clow District."

"Yes."

"And Clow is one of the most run-down, gang-filled districts in the whole city. We can't live there!"

"I'm sorry, but your parents' will says you and your sister have to go and live with your aunt. We've already notified her, and she'll be here about noon to pick you up." The social worker began packing up his papers. "I would suggest you tell your sister and get ready to go." And with that, he left.

Kurogane glared at the door to the apartment. Since eight-forty-nine last night, the only thing that had come through that door was bad news. He stood up, shoving the chair back so hard it toppled over. He didn't even bother to pick it up, heading back into Tomoyo's room instead. His sister was curled up on her bed, her slender frame shaking with sobs.

"Tomoyo." Kurogane said.

"What?" she sobbed.

"Guess who we're going to go live with now." When she didn't answer, he did. "Everyone's favorite Aunt Ameterasu." Tomoyo looked up, her tear-stained face confused.

"But that means—"

"Yep. We're moving to Clow District."

* * *

_ In a dim room on the far side of the city, a man watched a pair of dark-haired siblings pack their bags through the feed from several security cameras that no one, not even the owner of the apartment building, knew existed. He chuckled and turned to the curly-haired woman standing beside him._

_"The pieces are falling into place, Xing Huo." he said. "And the most critical pieces are moving exactly how I want it to. The time is coming for us to make our move."_

_"But sir, he is still unaware of their destiny. If the witch gets to him first…"_

_"She will not get the chance. I must fulfill my desire."_

_"As you say, sir."_

_"Good. Now, let's have a look to some of the others."_

_ And the video feed switched, to another view of another apartment, where a blonde teen sat at a desk and drew his neighbors as characters in a manga and sighed discontentedly, because he knew that the story he was weaving was still missing a character._

**A/N: So, here it is! Please, send me a review, even if it is a flame. I need to know just what kind of job I did on this.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Well, I finally mustered up the courage to post the next chapter. Maybe this is a better idea than the normal insanity my brain spews out. Quite frankly, I'm relieved that this is the case. The stories I write that make me worried they ****_won't_**** be at least somewhat interesting either don't get posted at all or end up being deleted. HUUUGGGGGEEEE THANKS to both of my reviewers and to all four people following this. More characters pop up in this one...including my favorite, Fai.**

**Warning: Unmoderated irritatingness from Fai. He is impossible to reign in.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC, xxxHolic, Cardcaptor Sakura, or any other franchises I may or may not accidentally cross with this one. The plot is all that belongs to me.**

Chapter Two:…..And A New One Begins

Kurogane glared out the window of his aunt's car in sullen silence. Ameterasu had tried to get conversations going several times, but her niece and nephew remained uncooperative. Tomoyo had said a little while they were still at the old apartment, but she'd fallen silent once they got into the car. Kurogane hadn't said more than three words to his aunt in the half an hour since she'd arrived to pick them up.

"You two will love the apartment." Ameterasu said. "It's big enough for the three of us, and there are other kids about your age in the building. I've invited one of our neighbors over for dinner tonight, too."

"Really?" asked Tomoyo.

"Don't sound so hopeful." Kurogane growled. "It's probably some deranged fat guy who smells."

"Actually," said Ameterasu, "He's about your age, Kurogane."

"Hmph. Means he's probably some deranged _teenager_ who smells."

They pulled into a parking lot outside a five-story apartment building. On the front, someone had painted 'The Most Interesting Apartment in Clow' in bright green letters. Ameterasu parked the car, leapt out, and rushed around to the passenger side of the car.

"Fai D. Fluorite, get down from there right now!" she yelled. Kurogane hopped out of the car and followed his aunt's gaze up the side of the building. His jaw dropped.

The entire side of the apartment building was covered with a partially completed abstract mural that was vaguely reminiscent of a cityscape. Almost in the center of the mural was a fire escape, with several cans of paint on it and a long rope lashed to the railing of the top landing. A slim, pale figure dangled from the rope in a harness, with a paint can hanging from either side. The figure turned in the harness and saluted with a paintbrush before lowering to the ground. Ameterasu stalked over.

"What did you think you were doing?!" she bellowed.

The figure turned out to be a teenaged boy, about Kurogane's age. His light-wash jeans and white shirt were splattered with paint, and a streak of bright green marked his pale cheek. White-blonde hair dyed with multi-colored streaks framed a pair of brilliant blue eyes. He wore a grin that suggested that he was a few cards short of a full deck.

"I was just painting." he replied innocently.

"Just painting? _ Just painting?!_ Do you realize how high up you were? You could have fallen to your death! When I tell your father, he will ground you for life, young man!"

The blonde sighed. "Ameterasu-san, I keep telling you, Ashura-san is _not_ my father." His blue eyes fell on Kurogane. "And who's this?" he asked curiously.

"This is my nephew, Kurogane, and my niece, Tomoyo." said Ameterasu. "And this," she said, gesturing towards the blonde, "is Fai." The blonde swept into a deep bow.

"Fai D. Fluorite, at your service!" he said cheerfully. Tomoyo, who had climbed out of the car when Fai had landed, giggled and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fai-san." The blonde took Tomoyo's hand and kissed it, triggering another fit of giggles.

"The pleasure is mine." he replied, grinning flirtatiously . "But please, just call me Fai. All my friends do, and I'm hoping to make some new ones today." Kurogane grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"How dare you kiss my sister!" the dark-haired teen roared. Fai flinched.

"Temper, Kuro-poo! It's rude to pick your neighbors up by their shirts and swing them around, didn't you know?"

"What the hell did you just call me?!" Kurogane shouted, shaking Fai. "My name is KUROGANE!" Ameterasu grabbed Kurogane by the shoulder.

"Kurogane, put Fai down." Kurogane sighed and dropped the smaller teen. Fai dashed back over to the abandoned harness, strapped himself in, and hauled himself back up to the landing the rope was tied to. He collected the paint cans on the fire escape and disappeared through a top-floor window. Ameterasu sighed in exasperation.

"…..Was that who we were going to have dinner with?" Tomoyo asked. Ameterasu nodded.

"Yes, him and his father both."

"So then why doesn't his father discipline him?" Kurogane asked.

"Ashura-san is away on business quite frequently. Anyway," Ameterasu said, taking several of Tomoyo's bags, "I'm going up to the apartment. Fourth floor, Apartment 43. I'll leave the door unlocked." She headed for the door into the apartment building.

Kurogane rolled his eyes and picked up Tomoyo's remaining bags, as well as his own. He walked into the apartment building. Tomoyo followed him, protesting all the while that she could carry her own bags. Noticing the distinct lack of an elevator, Kurogane was forced to take the stairs up to the fourth floor.

Once they stepped out of the stairwell, Kurogane noticed Fai leaning up against the wall between their apartment and Apartment 45. The blonde appeared to be trying to clean the paint out from under his nails and off the side of his face. He glanced up as the door to the stairs closed. Blue eyes met crimson as Fai's gaze locked with Kurogane's.

"Hyuu, Kuro-poo is so strong, carrying all those bags by himself!" Fai chirped. Kurogane glared at him.

"Stop calling me that. And what the hell was that noise?"

"I can't whistle," Fai said with a shrug, "So I do that instead. Anyhow, there are some people I'd like you two to meet."

Suddenly, the door to Apartment 45 burst open and a pair of brunettes tumbled out into the hallway, kicking and punching the whole time. They were followed by an auburn-haired girl.

"I'm sorry, Fai," she said, "But they won't stop fighting with each other! I don't know what to do!"

Fai rolled his eyes. "Okay, quit it before you knock Sakura-chan over." he said, nudging the pair apart with his shoe. The brunettes bounded to their feet. Both were boys, almost identical to each other. They had the same light brown eyes and chocolate colored hair, the same thin but muscular build, the same facial structure. The only real difference was the height, and the scar running down the taller boy's right cheek.

"Sorry, Fai-sa—oops, I mean, sorry Fai." said the smaller brunette. The taller one studied Kurogane like he was expecting a fight at any moment. The girl looked at Kurogane and Tomoyo as well, her green eyes dancing with excitement.

"Who are they?" she asked Fai.

"New neighbors." the blonde replied cheerfully. "Everyone, this is Tomoyo-chan and Kuro-poo!"

"Enough with the damned nicknames!" Kurogane yelled. "Why can't you just call me my real name?!"

"Oh, but 'Kurogane' is so long! I'd never be able to remember it!" Fai said, his eyes wide and earnest. "But if you don't like 'Kuro-poo', I could call you 'Kurgy', or 'Kuro-tan', or 'Kuro-rin', or—"

"No!" Kurogane shouted. "Just call me Kurogane!"

"And this," Fai interrupted, gesturing to the others, "is Syaoran-kun, Wolf-kun, and Sakura-chan."

Sakura smiled. "It's nice to meet you!" she said. Wolf rolled his eyes. "Great. Newcomers." He glared, the expression made even more fearsome by his curved scar. "Stay away from me." He turned and stomped back into the apartment.

"Sorry about Wolf." Syaoran said. "He's, um, a bit grumpy."

"Sakura-chan, where's Touya-san?" Fai asked.

"Nii-san had to go to work." Sakura replied. "He said he had to go pick up Yukito-san, since his car is still broken."

"Touya-san is Sakura-chan's older brother," Syaoran whispered to Tomoyo. Abruptly, a phone began to go off in Fai's pocket. The blonde slipped it out and looked at the caller I.D.

"Hang on." he said, before flipping the phone open. "Hello, Fluorite Artists. You want it, we pai—oh, Ashura-san." He held the phone well away from his ear as the person on the other end—Ashura—began yelling into the phone. Kurogane caught phrases like 'totally irresponsible' and 'realize how much danger you were in?!' and 'never let you out of the apartment until you're forty' until the shouting finally died down.

"May I speak now?" Fai asked. "Yes, I was on the fire escape again…I realized that! I'm fine, honestly…..Ameterasu-san already chewed me out….mmhmm…..okay…..yes, I'll be careful….half an hour? Okay…..of course the apartment's clean; I'm not a total slob…..okay. Alright…..NO! Not now! I'm out in the hallway….yes, with Syaoran-kun and Sakura-chan…..Ameterasu-san's niece and nephew moved in with her, they're here too….no! Alright….see you in half an hour." Fai ended the call and flipped his phone shut. "Ashura-san will be back in half an hour. I've got some cleaning up to do. See you later, Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan! See you at dinner, Tomoyo-chan…..Kurgy." The blonde bolted for the stairs, laughing. Kurogane glared after him. When he turned back around, his new neighbors had already disappeared back into their apartment and Tomoyo stood in the doorway.

"If this keeps up, I'm going to kill that guy." Kurogane muttered to himself.

* * *

The apartment was surprisingly spacious. The kitchen and the living room were separated by a low bar with several stools tucked under it and a small rectangular table. There were three doors on the side of the apartment facing the outside of the building, and a fourth on the left side of the living space. Tomoyo's bags had been stacked by the door on the leftmost of the three doors. Kurogane assumed that his was the rightmost and that the room in the middle was a bathroom. The fourth door was undoubtedly his aunt's. He dropped the last of his sister's bags by her door and took his stuff into his own room.

While the room was small, the white paint on the walls made the space seem larger. A twin-size bed was pushed into the corner by an exterior window, and a desk and dresser occupied the right wall of the room. Out the window, Kurogane could see the slightly rusty metal bars of the fire escape. _Damn it. I just _had_ to have the room right downstairs from that idiot._ He dropped his bags and flopped back on the bed, shutting his eyes momentarily. He opened them when the quiet purr of an engine rumbled in the street outside.

Kurogane peeped over the windowsill to see a sleek black sedan park right beside his aunt's car. A tall, dark-haired man in a business suit climbed out and began walking over to the apartment building. Kurogane stifled a laugh and some rude comments about the length if the man's hair. The only man he knew who wore his hair long was Officer Glossam, and this man's hair was even longer—and not even pulled back into a ponytail, either. A pale blur shot out of the apartment building, resolving into Fai as he slammed into the dark-haired man, hugging him enthusiastically. Kurogane guessed that, going by Fai's reaction, that man was Ashura. He slipped back away from the window and flopped back on his bed, jealousy and grief making his throat close up. Fai still had his father, and Kurogane had just lost both parents in one horrible night. It wasn't fair. Not one bit.

* * *

_Not far from the apartment building, in a small shop downtown, a tall, slim woman walked into a dark room, trailed by her black-haired assistant. She flipped a switch, lighting a single lamp against one wall. The candle-like glow illuminated a pair of round, rabbit-esque creatures curled up together in a small dog bed. One of the creatures was white, the other black. As the woman stepped quietly towards them and knelt beside the dog bed, the white creature stirred, opening shockingly wide eyes._

_"The time is coming, little ones." she whispered to the rabbit-like creatures. Then, she stood and turned to her assistant._

_"Come, Watanuki." she said. "We must prepare. The last of the ones has arrived in Clow. The candles of Fate burn quickly in our grasp, and if we do not act now they will fall into his hands."_

_"Yes, ma'am." The assistant replied softly. With a glance backwards at the small creatures—which were already going back to sleep—the woman and the boy left the room._

**A/N: A word of warning about Syaoran and Wolf: one is the clone, one is the original. I'm not telling who's who. Also, since I have a fetish for dream sequences, they will occur at the beginning of the chapter or in the middle. The thing at the end is just me spying on what's going on elsewhere, and it probably won't continue much after chapter three. Drop me a review? Please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: YEEEEEEESSSSSSS! I am FINALLY off writer's block! I even managed to get two more chapters done! So, what time is it? *drumroll* DOUBLE UPDATE TIME! And, to clear up any confusion, this is the last chapter with the spying in it for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC, or any other CLAMP manga. The plot is all I own.**

Chapter Three: The Last One

"Do we really _have_ to have them over for dinner? I don't think I can take that _idiot's_ stupid nicknames. He drives me crazy! Goddammit, do we _really_ have to do this?!" Kurogane complained.

"Do you have to speak in italics, Nii-san?" Tomoyo asked.

"When it comes to _that idiot_, I do!"

""You're just grumpy because Fai-san is cooler than you, Nii-san."

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"He is in no way cooler than me! And besides, he's funny-looking."

"I think he's cute."

"You only say that because that's the first time you've been kissed, even on the hand."

"Oh, be quiet, Nii-san!"

Kurogane smirked. "Truth hurts, doesn't it."

"Don't quote me."

"Stop it, both of you!" Ameterasu called from the living room. "Ashura-san and Fai will be here any minute, and I want you on your best behavior, alright?"

"Okay!" Tomoyo called back.

"Fine." grumbled Kurogane. The swarthy teen leaned against the doorframe of his bedroom door. He would behave himself so long as Fai didn't get too irritating, but something about even _looking_ at the blonde got on Kurogane's nerves. Ameterasu had cooked dinner while he and Tomoyo had arranged their rooms to their satisfaction. She had even set the table. Now, Ameterasu sat out in the living room, while Tomoyo perched at the breakfast bar on a stool and Kurogane skulked in the doorway to his bedroom.

Suddenly, there came a knock on the door. Ameterasu got up to answer the door, but Tomoyo got there first.

"Hello—wait, who are you?" she said, confused. Ameterasu reached the door and opened it the rest of the way.

"Good evening, Ashura-san. Welcome back to Clow." She stepped aside, welcoming the dark-haired man Kurogane had seen from his window into the apartment.

"It's good to be back, Ameterasu-san." he replied. "And who is this lovely young lady?"

"My niece, Tomoyo."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tomoyo-chan." Ashura said.

"Nice to meet you, Ashura-san." Tomoyo said. Kurogane studied their visitor from his spot.

Ashura was even taller than Kurogane had thought. He had to be at least half a head taller than Kurogane himself, with raven-black hair that went down somewhat past his broad shoulders. Like Fai, he was fair-skinned, but that was where the resemblance ended. His dark hair was a sharp contrast to Fai's pale locks, his eyes hazel rather than blue, and he was broad where Fai was slender. Kurogane decided that either Fai got his looks from his mother, or he and Ashura were not related.

"Fai was talking a mile a minute about new neighbors downstairs—someone named Tomoyo-chan and 'Kurgy'." Ashura's piercing gaze fell on Kurogane. "I'm supposing that's you?"

"My name is Kurogane." Kurogane grumbled. "Not whatever stupid nickname he was calling me by."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Kurogane-kun." Ashura said.

"Where is Fai, anyway?" asked Ameterasu.

"He's holed himself up in his room, working on that wall mural again and getting high off the VOCs from his paint." Ashura replied casually, like that was a regular occurrence. There was a ruckus out in the hall—the door to the stairs flying open and slamming shut, feet pounding down the hall. The door flew open again and Fai rocketed into the room, skidding to a halt beside Ashura and nearly toppling over from the sudden stop. Looking at them side-by-side, Kurogane was almost certain that there was no biological relationship between the two. They were just too dissimilar.

"Am I late?" the blonde gasped.

"No," Kurogane growled, "More's the pity, too." Fai's bright blue eyes pooled with tears.

"Kuro-cruel!" he wailed, "You're so mean to me! What did I do to deserve this?!"

"Fai." Ashura said. "Enough with the nicknames. If Kurogane would rather be called by his name, you call him by his name."

"But 'Kurogane' is just plain boring—and it's too long, anyway." Ashura chuckled, rolling his eyes.

* * *

Dinner was relatively quick and pretty quiet. Ashura and Ameterasu discussed the weather, current politics, the local gangs, Fai's latest exploits—the blonde had apparently almost been caught by the police while graffiti-ing a subway tunnel—and what Ameterasu was going to do about schooling for her charges. Kurogane promptly tuned them out. Fai finished his helping quickly and then leaned back in the chair, his long fingers drumming impatiently on the arm. He kept glancing toward the door. Then, the blonde's gaze wandered over to Kurogane. He cocked his head like a confused puppy, then tilted it back the other way, before making a rectangle with his index finger and thumb and studying Kurogane through it.

"What's that look for, Blondie?" Kurogane groused. Fai grinned.

"Oh, nothing…"

"Now you _have_ to tell me."

"No, thanks!" Fai turned towards the adults. "Ashura-san, may I please be excused? I have a…..project I need to work on."

"Sure. Get ready for bed while you're up there—I don't want a repeat of the _last_ weekend I was back." Ashura said absentmindedly, only halfway focused on Fai.

"Thank you!" Fai squealed and darted out the door of the apartment. Kurogane stared at the door in utter shock and disbelief. _What kind of person is rude enough to run off in the middle of a dinner hosted for them?!_ he wondered, scowling. Then he turned his attention to the adult's conversation. Ashura had his elbow on the table and his chin cupped in the palm of his hand, listening intently to Ameterasu, who appeared to be in the process of yakking his ear off.

"So, I've been trying to think of the best way to get my niece and nephew out into the district," Ameterasu was saying. Ashura gave her a look.

"What's your plan?"

"I thought about getting Fai to show them around, introduce them to some people, but since you're back I don't want to deprive him of one of the few days he has with you…"

"It's okay. You can borrow him—but bribe him with a free lunch. That may be the only way you'll get Fai out of his room tomorrow." Both adults laughed about that. Ashura glanced at the clock on the wall, which read nine-thirty. He yawned. "I suppose it's about time for me to turn in. It was a long day of travelling." He stood up, pushing his chair back under the table. Ashura bid Ameterasu good night and left. Ameterasu turned to her niece and nephew.

"Well," she said. "Let's get this cleaned up, shall we?"

* * *

One _long, tedious, dish-filled_ hour later, Kurogane found himself curled up on the couch out in the living room with a mug of jasmine tea and no idea how he got there. Tomoyo was in the recliner, and Ameterasu was absent, probably in her room or something. The swarthy teen decided that there was no better time to get his sister's opinion on their new life.

"So, on a rating of 1 to 10, 1 being as good as it gets and 10 sucking all over the place; how would you rate this?" Kurogane quizzed. It was an old habit of theirs; usually reserved for after plays or a martial arts competition, but Kurogane figured he could apply it here. Tomoyo looked thoughtful.

"Hmmm…..Mom and Dad are gone….but I still have you here, and the apartment isn't so bad…..the neighbors are a little weird, but Fai's cute….I'd give it a 3." Tomoyo said. Kurogane stared at her.

"Okay, when did you decide you liked that blonde nutcase and why wasn't I notified immediately?" he growled. Tomoyo stared at Kurogane in shock.

"I liked him from the beginning. There's something about him that's just…..oh, I can't explain it, but there's something fascinating about him. He's attention-grabbing."

"And a troublemaker!" Kurogane exclaimed. "You heard Ameterasu-san and Ashura-san's conversation over dinner—that guy is a graffiti artist, a class clown, he runs with the wrong sort of people…..he does everything you shouldn't!"

"Well, how do you rate it, Nii-san?" Tomoyo said quickly.

"No parents, weird neighbors, Fai's obnoxious and a few marbles short of a game of shooters…the only real benefit is that you're still around. Maybe a 6 or a 7." Kurogane muttered

"So….we average to….about a 4.75. Not too bad, it could be worse." Kurogane shook his head, smiling despite himself at his sister's perpetual optimism. No matter how low he saw the glass at, she still thought it was half-full. He sipped at the jasmine tea, not even bothering to ask how he'd ended up with it.

"Well, it's about bedtime, Tomoyo. Maybe you ought to think about turning in for the night." Tomoyo stared at him, pleading for another hour or so with her expressive violet eyes.

"Can I stay up with you? Please, Nii-san? I'm not tired, really!" Then she betrayed herself by yawning. Kurogane chuckled.

"We're _both_ going to bed now. Come on." He put the tea down on the coffee table and escorted Tomoyo back to her bedroom.

When Kurogane got back to his own room, he flopped down on the bed; too tired to stay awake, too alert to fall asleep. He began reviewing the day in his mind, everything that had happened—even the seemingly insignificant details. Aside from Fai's over-cheerfulness and the inexplicable hostility from Wolf, the apartment seemed like your typical inner-city residential unit, and the other teens pretty normal. But Fai…..the blonde was definitely weird, with his too-bright smiles and quirky behavior. Kurogane's father had taught him to read people not only by their words, but by their behavior, and something about the blonde upstairs just didn't feel right.

Fai was hiding something. Kurogane was certain.

* * *

_ Fai sat at his desk, his pencil flying across the paper. A drawing was forming under his hand, but he refused to look at it until it was finished. As with many of his drawings, this was one of the ones he wasn't in control of, the kind that seemed to draw themselves and only used him as a conduit from the ether to the paper. He gazed out the window instead, his thoughts wandering back to his new neighbors downstairs. Both of them put off the right sort of vibes….particularly Kurogane. His hand stopped moving across the paper, and he glanced down at the drawing._

_ And nearly crumpled it in disgust. It was the same drawing he had done every night for the past week: a warrior in old-style Japanese armor, a katana balanced across his shoulders, his stance solid, confident—ready for anything. Then, Fai did a double-take. On every other drawing, the face had been blank, simply an unfinished white oval that drove him crazy. Now, the face was rendered—Kurogane's face, set in a self-assured smirk. Behind him, the door slid open, revealing Ashura._

_"Bedtime, Fai." he said._

_"Ashura-san, it's him." Fai said. Ashura looked confused._

_"What's who?" Fai slid the paper towards his adoptive father._

_"It's him," the blonde said quietly. "He's the last one."_

**A/N: Ashura is going to play a pretty minor role in all of this. He's leaving on business again next week anyway XD**. **But what's Fai going on about, with the 'last one'? Will Kurogane ever find out about what's going on behind the scenes? Why am I asking all these hypothetical questions when I already know the answers? Drop me a review! Please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the second part of the double update. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TRC, CLAMP manga, Vocaloid, or Fai's silly nicknames for Kurogane.**

Chapter Four: Clow District

At seven o'clock the next morning, Kurogane was rudely awakened by someone blaring Vocaloid from the floor above. The teen briefly wondered why their upstairs neighbor would choose _that_ before remembering the move to Clow District and that his upstairs neighbor was now a teenaged art-type rather than a grandmotherly eighty-year-old. He rolled out of bed, shoved the window open, and leaned out.

"WILL YOU TURN THAT DOWN UP THERE?!" he hollered. The window above opened, and Fai leaned out.

"Good morning, Kuro-loud!" the blonde exclaimed. "And how are you this fine morning?"

"Very grumpy, thanks to you and Hatsune Miku. It's only seven in the morning, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Only seven?" the blonde asked, clearly confused. "But seven o'clock is _late_!" Kurogane was stunned. In his opinion, seven was early, particularly on the weekend. Then, Fai chirped, "And Ashura-san said I couldn't play music until seven, so I kept quiet so you could sleep in!" The blonde jumped out onto the fire escape and scampered down to Kurogane's landing and leaned on the windowsill. "Sooooo….I may or may not have heard something about your aunt wanting you and Tomoyo-chan out in the district, and Ashura-san may or may not have mentioned her asking me to show the two of you around…a free lunch might have been mentioned as well."

Kurogane groaned. It was, in his opinion, far too early for being pestered by an obnoxious blonde. Tomoyo's window slid open, and she poked her head out. Her violet eyes were half awake, and her dark hair was slightly mussed from sleep.

"Uhhhh…..morning, Fai; morning, Nii-san. Isn't it a little…..early…..to be making this kind of noise?" she said sleepily.

"Morning, Tomoyo-chan!" Fai called. That was when the blonde seemed to notice that he was standing on the fire escape in his pajama pants and oversize t-shirt. "Ummm….I've gotta go get dressed. Excuse me." He bolted back up the fire escape and jumped through his window.

Tomoyo laughed and pulled back into her room, closing her window behind her. Kurogane did the same, quickly pulling on a pair of black jeans and a red shirt. He headed into the bathroom and attempted to get a handle on his spiky hair. As usual, it refused to cooperate with him. He sighed and gave up. Tomoyo entered the bathroom as well, grabbing her hairbrush and brushing her silky black locks. Kurogane rolled his eyes and headed out into the living area.

Ameterasu was sitting in the living room with a mug of coffee, watching the morning news. She turned to look at him.

"Good morning. Cereal's in the pantry cabinet, milk's in the refrigerator, make yourself breakfast." Ameterasu said. She then turned her attention back to the news. Kurogane shrugged and got himself a bowl of Cheerios. He was about halfway through the bowl when someone knocked on the door. Ameterasu opened it, allowing Fai into the apartment. The blonde flashed Kurogane a blindingly white grin before sitting down across from him.

"So, what do you want to see today, Kuro-poo?" Fai asked. Kurogane gave him a lethal glare.

"Stop calling me Kuro-poo. My name is _Kurogane_." he growled. Fai pouted. Tomoyo came out of her room and sat down next to Kurogane at the table, her dark hair swinging like a black veil about her face.

"What are we doing today?" she asked curiously.

"Well," Fai said, "I'll show you around the district, maybe introduce you to some of my friends, eat lunch out, teach you how the metro works—"

"Metro?" Tomoyo asked.

"The subway." Fai clarified. "Are you ready to get going?" Kurogane finished his bowl and left it in the sink.

"Let's get this over with." he growled.

* * *

"—And the district high school is over here," Fai said, pointing to a large brick building. The school was only a few blocks away from the apartment building, an easy walk. "But I don't go here."

"Then where do you go to school?" Tomoyo asked.

"Ashura-san sends me to a private art school a few blocks over that way." The blonde pointed down another street. "I've never actually attended public school." He chuckled. "Although I'm doing a mural in the high school cafeteria for extra credit in my Street Arts class."

"Why do you call your father Ashura-san instead of 'Dad'?" Kurogane asked. Fai blinked at him in confusion.

"He's not my father—at least, not biologically. I'm adopted." Fai said. Tomoyo looked surprised.

"Figures." Kurogane muttered. Fai cocked his head and looked puzzled.

"How does it figure?" he asked. "It's not like he just adopted me last week or something. He took me in when I was about seven. I've lived here in Clow for most of my life."

"Where'd Ashura-san adopt you from?" Tomoyo asked.

"Up north, in Ceres." Fai said nonchalantly.

"All the way up there?"

"Where else? Do you see anyone else around here who looks even remotely like me?"

Kurogane chuckled to himself. _He'd_ never seen anyone like Fai before, that was for certain. He'd never seen anyone as pale, or met anyone as eccentric, noisy, cheerful, obnoxious…..maybe _extreme_ was a better word for his blonde neighbor. Yes, that was it. He'd never met anyone as extreme as Fai in his life. He almost wished he _hadn't_ met Fai.

"I guess not….." Tomoyo mused. "But why do you say 'about' seven? Don't you know your own age, or when you were born?"

"Not really," Fai said, shrugging. "My birth family didn't care to keep track of how old I was, but Ashura-san estimates that I'm about seventeen years old now." The blonde glanced around anxiously. "We should go."

"Why, you worried about something?" Kurogane asked dryly. Not that he particularly cared, it was just that it felt like the right thing to say.

"Yeah, I'm…not exactly on good terms with the gang that controls this block, not since I did that mural a few months back….their leader really knows how to hold a grudge, huh? We'd better get going."

Fai hadn't gone more than three steps back the way they'd come when a trio of young men, each sporting a brightly dyed Mohawk, stepped out from an alleyway. Kurogane tensed. If his interpretation of their body language was accurate, they were none too friendly. He turned around to find other groups of young men, each wearing the same outlandish hairstyle, surrounding him, Tomoyo, and Fai. He instinctively pulled Tomoyo closer to him, hands clenching into fists. Kurogane sensed Fai backing up to join him, putting their backs together. The gangsters parted, allowing a portly man with sunglasses and a huge pink Mohawk to the inside of the ring. The fat man smirked.

"Finally caught you, you sneaky bugger!" he crowed. Kurogane stifled laughter. The man's squawky voice was totally at odds with his appearance—he'd been expecting a deeper tone. Fai actually did laugh.

"Well, it looks like we're in a bit of a pickle, now doesn't it Kurgy?" the blonde said with a light laugh.

"Quit calling me that." Kurogane growled back, glancing at the portly man and expecting him to set his gangsters on them for talking. However, the gang leader didn't seem to have noticed the conversation.

"Now, I think it's time for some payback! You should have thought about this before you painted that mural for Shougo's gang. Get him, boys!"

The gangsters lunged towards them, fists ready. Fai sprang away from Kurogane and Tomoyo, spinning acrobatically to dodge the blows flying towards him. The blonde jumped, ducked, twisted, dropping to the ground to dodge kicks—and then a lucky hit caught him full in the face. Fai crumpled, cupping a hand over the left side of his face. The gang surrounded Fai instantly, raining blows on him. Something inside Kurogane snapped. All the moron had done was paint a mural. In Kurogane's book, a painting didn't warrant a beating. He stepped forward, clearing his throat to get their attention.

"That's not exactly fair, now is it?" he growled. "Beating up an artist for painting a mural for someone you don't like. How about you leave the idiot alone?" He backed up his argument by clenching his fist by his side.

"That guy's a friend of his!" yelled the gang leader. "Get him, too!"

"Get out of here, Tomoyo," Kurogane growled to his sister. "I don't want you getting caught up in this." Tomoyo backed away, putting her back against a nearby building. Her pale face was worried, and her eyes darted around as though looking for an opening to go for help.

Kurogane waded into the fray, fists swinging. He roundhouse-kicked one of the gangsters, sending him flying into a wall; before grabbing another by the wrist and swinging him, knocking down half a dozen of his opponents. Another took a right hook to the jaw and crumpled. Somehow, Kurogane threw off his assailants long enough to get to Fai and pull him upright. The blonde was a wreck. Blood streamed from his nose, and a black eye was rapidly developing where he'd taken that first punch. But somehow, the teen was _still_ wearing that stupid smile.

"Thanks, Kurgy." Fai jumped, snapping off a kick that went over Kurogane's left shoulder and taking out a gangster who'd been sneaking up behind the dark-haired teen. "Let's get out of here. Go get your sister!"

Kurogane darted over to Tomoyo and caught her by the wrist. She almost swung at him, before realizing it was her older brother.

"Let's get out of here." Kurogane hissed. They bolted for the nearest alleyway, where Fai was waiting for them. The blonde waved for them to follow him, before dashing off down the alley.

Fai led the siblings down a confusing maze of alleyways. They turned abruptly, seemingly at random, occasionally bursting out into the streets to run across traffic. The shouts of the gang faded behind them into the usual chaotic background noise of the bustling city. They burst out of the darkest alley yet into the greenspace of a public park. Fai finally stopped, bending over and putting his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. Kurogane and Tomoyo were both breathing heavily as well.

"Wow, that was the biggest scrape I've been in in a while!" Fai panted. Kurogane glared at him.

"If you knew that gang was there, why did you take us where you did? Planning on getting us killed or something?"

"I thought you and Tomoyo-chan would want to see your school, and I was…I was actually hoping they'd be in another part of their territory today. How was I to know they'd be there?" The blonde straightened, wiping the blood from his face. "Well, I asked some friends of mine to meet us here in the park…so let's see if we can find them." Fai trotted into the park.

"He has no sense of self-preservation, does he." Kurogane muttered to Tomoyo.

"We may as well follow him, Nii-san. He's the only one who knows where we are, after all. I kind of lost my sense of direction in those alleys." Tomoyo whispered back, before heading into the park after Fai. Kurogane grumbled under his breath and followed her.

They crossed between a pair of hedges that seemed to be dividing the park into sections. Fai stepped between them, and a streak of gold, pink, white, and pale blue slammed into him, knocking him on his back. Kurogane tensed, preparing for another fight, before realizing that the 'assailant' was a girl. An attractive blonde girl, who had her arms around Fai's neck in a hug. Kurogane blinked in surprise.

"Faiiiiii!" the girl squealed. "I missed you! How's your weekend been? Have you painted anything good? Is Ashura-san back yet? Who are your new friends?" She fired off the questions the way an AK-47 fired off bullets. Then she paused. "Oh, I'm squishing you! Oops!" The girl sprang off backwards, her long hair swinging. Kurogane noticed that she wore a headband with catlike ears positioned directly over her own. Her warm brown eyes looked concerned as she helped Fai to his feet. "You've been in a fight, Fai! You're hurt!"

"It's okay, Chii. I'm fine. It's just a little bruise, really." Fai said.

"Liar. It's a black eye, and you know it."

"Anyway," Fai said quickly, "where's Hideki? Wasn't he supposed to meet us here, too?"

"Hideki says he's running late." the girl replied. "He texted me a few minutes ago saying he'd get here fifteen minutes after the time you asked us to meet you. So, who're your new friends, Fai?"

"They moved into the apartment just downstairs from me. This is Tomoyo-chan and Kurgy. Guys, this is Chii. She's one of my closest friends."

"It's KUROGANE! Get it right, Blondie!" Kurogane roared at Fai. The blonde's multi-colored bangs blew back out of his face, flopping back into their original position when Kurogane stopped yelling. Fai grinned.

"Hyuu, Kuro-poo! What toothpaste are you using? Your breath is all minty-fresh."

"Shut up! And stop calling me Kuro-poo!"

"Oh, does Kurgy not like his new nickname or something? It's a shame, really, I get quite…..depressed when someone doesn't like my work." Fai said, lowering his eyes and tilting his head down and away from Kurogane's angry face, which was perhaps an inch or two away. Those expressive blue orbs filled with tears—there was no doubt that they were fake, at least not in Kurogane's mind. Chii caught the blonde by the shoulder and turned him to face her, lifting his chin with her index finger.

"It's okay, Fai. I like what you do. All your paintings are so pretty!" she chirped. Fai smiled at her and hugged the blonde girl.

"Thank you, Chii. It's so nice to know someone cares about what I'm doing." Kurogane gagged.

"So…sappy. I think I'm gonna be sick." He'd barely finished his statement before another person hurried up to the group, a teenaged boy with thick black hair, sticking up in spikes—not nearly as spiky as Kurogane's, but still messy. He shot Fai a look.

"What do you think you're doing with _my_ girlfriend, you preppy art student?" he growled.

"Hello, Hideki." Fai said, almost as if he hadn't registered the insult, or the veiled threat in the newcomer's tone. "Am I not allowed to say hello to one of my oldest and dearest friends? Chii's practically my sister, you know."

"Hmph. Who're they?" the newcomer asked, jerking his thumb in the direction of Kurogane and Tomoyo.

"My new neighbors. This lovely young lady is Tomoyo-chan, and that thunderhead is—"

"Kurogane." Kurogane interrupted, cutting off Fai before he could get out another embarrassing nickname.

"_Anyway,_" Fai interjected, "Guys, this is Hideki. He's Chii's boyfriend, as you may have already guessed." The blonde turned and gave Hideki a quizzical look. "Wasn't Souma supposed to meet us here as well?"

"She can't make it." Hideki said. "Is this all you called us out for? 'Cause I have a test to study for, and if I fail because you distracted me with whatever insane thing you're up to I blame you. I've got to go." Hideki stalked off.

"Oh, does that mean you're cancelling your date with Chii to 'study'?" Fai called after him. The only reply the blonde received was an angry growl. Fai laughed. "Come on, let's go find some place to get lunch. It's already almost noon."

* * *

Kurogane had heard about the okonomiyaki shops they had in Clow District during Aunt Ameterasu's visits to his old home in Nihon, but he'd never thought he would ever visit one. Now, he sat in a red vinyl booth next to Tomoyo and across from Chii while Fai chatted up the waiter. Apparently, this was Sakura's older brother, Touya. Kurogane had trouble seeing the relationship, but, despite the difference in age, eye color, and hair color, he could tell they were siblings. The swarthy teen looked around the restaurant, taking in everything: the mural on the kitchen wall, the red and blue vinyl booths, the smell of okonomiyaki, the sounds of sizzling from the kitchen, the babble of the other customers. He focused back at their table when Fai cleared his throat.

"So, where do you two want to go after lunch? What do you want to see? I can show you anywhere you want to go." Fai said. Chii nodded.

"Fai knows this district like the back of his hand," she said. "Nobody's ever lost when they're with him."

"Hey, that's new!" Fai said suddenly, studying the back of his hand. "Oh, wait, that's just ink. Never mind." Tomoyo and Chii busted up laughing. Kurogane rolled his eyes. How stupid and immature could Fai get? Apparently, there was no end to his foolishness.

As the girls calmed down and stopped giggling, Touya came over and gave them their order. A piece of the food dropped onto Fai's hand, and the idiot chirped something about 'something else new, I may have to consult a map of the city now!' and got Chii and Tomoyo laughing again. Kurogane grumbled in exasperation and turned his attention to lunch. It was surprisingly good.

* * *

After lunch, they said goodbye to Chii and followed Fai through the streets. The blonde would occasionally stop to point out stores he liked, or a restaurant where if you dropped his name you got a discount on your meal, or lame places like the library. Apparently, the librarian scared Fai to pieces, but he still went in there, anyway. On the way back to the apartment, they passed a brick building that was almost entirely covered with paintings that Fai pointed out as his school. And everywhere they went, at least one person would wave at Fai, or someone would yell something at him, or the blonde would stop for a quick chat. By the time they got back to the apartment, it was nearly six o'clock in the evening and Kurogane was beginning to get hungry again.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow! Have a good evening, Tomoyo-chan, Kuro-chuu!" Fai exclaimed, darting up the stairs. Kurogane and Tomoyo made their way upstairs as well, and headed back into their aunt's apartment. They found Ameterasu waiting for them in the living room. A long, cloth-wrapped bundle lay on the couch. Kurogane's throat tightened the second he laid eyes on it. It wasn't what he thought it was…..was it?

"Welcome back, you two. How was your day?" Ameterasu asked.

"It was amazing!" Tomoyo chirped. "We met some of Fai's friends and went out for lunch and rode on the metro and saw the school and Fai and Kurogane got in a fight with a gang and—"

"You got in a fight?" Ameterasu interrupted, staring hard at Kurogane, who sweatdropped.

"It was only a little one, and we didn't start it, seriously." Kurogane protested.

"I suppose I'll have to believe you, this time. Kurogane, would you come over here, please? There's something I need to give to you."

The dark-haired teen walked over, feeling as though he were moving through syrup. His aunt lifted the bundle and handed it to him. Kurogane unwrapped it slowly, revealing the bright flash of silver and steel. When the last of the cloth fell away, he found himself holding a katana—seven feet of slightly curved steel, with a hilt designed to look like a dragon's head and neck. Kurogane's breath caught.

"Ginryu," he whispered. "But…why? Wasn't this in Dad's patrol car when….when it happened?"

"It was." Ameterasu confirmed. "In your parents' will, it was stated that you were to receive Ginryu when your father died. Ginryu is an ancient family heirloom going back centuries, possibly more. The eldest male Suwa was responsible for the blade, and so she has been passed along to you. Family legend says that she was used to slay demons."

Kurogane snorted. "Demons don't exist. Besides, since when was our family demon-slayers?"

**A/N: Dun dun dun! Kuro the Unbeliever had better look out, cuz the plot is gonna hit him in the face in the next three chapters or so. Drop me a review if you think you know what's going on! If you don't, drop one anyway! Everything is appreciated...even flames!**


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